MÜS

Running

 

Running is such a basic skill that we often take it for granted. We can all do it, some are good at it, but very few understand what they are doing. It's like walking only faster, you might think. But it's not!

 

Walking is taking it easy. One foot is always on the ground and as you move through your step, you roll off your foot heel to toe. Although your feet and legs are moving, you aren't exerting very much energy. Your upper body is relaxed and you're shoulders are over your hips. Running is hard work. Both feet are off the ground during each step and you are up on your toes. You are pushing hard with every step, your arms and shoulders are pumping and you're leaning forward.

 

In Ultimate, acceleration, and the speed or changes in direction it generates, is the most important factor in determining potential ability. (That is one reason football players are often measured by their 40 yd speed). When you run faster, your opponents can't keep up and can't get away. Running well, and fast, is a simple matter of applying a few basic principles to what you are doing. Think about these basics as you run and sprint and you'll find yourself faster, and more powerful, than ever.What goes into running? Below are the factors that determine how fast you can run, turn, and change speed.

 

Step rate - steps taken per unit time.

Stride length - distance from one footfall to the next.

Speed - how fast you are moving = step rate X Stride length

Force - energy applied per unit time. The strength and speed of your muscle contractions determines the force each step generates.

Power - work done per unit time. This comes from a combination of number of contractions (step rate) times the force of each.

Acceleration - rate of change in velocity. Power determines your ability to accelerate.

Lean angle - angle from vertical of your body's axis. This determines how much of your force is converted into lateral motion.

 

In order to go fast we should combine our fastest step rate with our longest stride length. Unfortunately there is a trade-off between these two. The fastest step rates are by tap dancers. The longest stride lengths are by long and triple jumpers. Imagine if we could combine these two.

 

What this means is that we can take lots of very short steps or a few very long steps. This curve (missing) determines how we should run depending on our goals.

 

The most power, and acceleration, comes when you are running at a step rate faster than you would have at your maximum speed. With a high step rate, the muscles in your legs are contracting more often and generate more power. If you want to accelerate (stop, start, speed up, slow down, or turn), take more steps.

 

The lean angle determines the percent of the leg force that gets converted into a horizontal direction. Some people are very effective at getting a good lean as they turn or reverse directions on a cut. They stop with only one or two steps and are off in another direction. They do this with a combination of strong legs and setting up a good angle for pushing off. Sprinters start by leaning way over, supported by their hands, so that all of their push becomes forward momentum. The more you lean, the more force you can exert in the horizontal plane. The trick is to not fall over - or have your feet slip out from under you (good cleats are crucial).

 

What can we do to improve our acceleration? Of course the answer is practice. First work on increasing your step rate. This means shortening your stride and speeding up your arm swing. The high knee plyometric accomplishes this. Try to step as quickly as possible with very little forward motion. The most effective practice I have found for improving step rate is descending stairs. With one hand hovering over the railing, (falls are possible) step quickly down each stair. As your step rate increases with practice, it will begin to feel more and more like skiing.

 

Arm swing is also very important in step rate. Your arms and legs work together as harmonious pendula. If you want a quicker step, bend your elbows more, (shorter pendula oscillate faster) and speed up your swing. You'll find that your legs happily follow. Your arms also come into play on tight turns. Have you ever seen someone wildly rotating one arm as they turned to follow a cutter. This gives more stability (through gyroscopic forces) for better lean angles. Try running in a tight circle with normal arm swing. Then try it with the outside arm swinging in a big circle. You'll find you can go faster and/or run a tighter turn.

 

Your stride length is a more passive variable than step rate but you can work on it. Here, your reaching plyometric steps help you extend. Lunges give your muscles strength through their entire length. Of course, proper stretching helps a great deal.

 

Since lean angle depends on the strength of your legs it is a little more difficult to work on directly. Try stopping within one step. Plant one foot in front of you, turn to the side, and put your other foot next to the first. If you are leaning enough, you'll stop and be in a position to push off in the opposite direction.

 

Weight training can improve the force you generate with each step. Remember to work the muscle groups through their full range to maintain the speed of contraction. All the plyometrics put together help coordinate your muscle groups. Your acceleration is especially improved when you combine the knee raises with the butt kick. When the parts of your legs are working together, your step rate, stride length, and leg push are all increased.

 

Simple tricks to help your Ultimate acceleration:

1) On defense, take shorter (more) steps than your opponent. This will give you more power for acceleration.

2) Downshift (shorter steps) to speed up.

3) Shifting your arm swing will shift your step rate and stride length.

4) Stay low when anticipating a cut to get a better lean angle.